http://www.amazon.com/Excalibur-3500-Deluxe-Tray-Dehydrator/dp/B001P2FUZC/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1276626748&sr=1-11

Anyone else have this?

Thanks!

Edited by thinkpol on 06/15/2010 12:44:56 MDT.

I have been using an Excalibur for 2 yrs. Works well. Good temperature control. Sliding trays are convenient. Horizontal air flow promotes even drying but tray rotation is still advisable. Noisier than I would want in the kitchen; I run it in the garage. No timer.

If you wish to post your specific questions I might be able to provide more information.

I'm new to dehydrating but want to get something high quality and dependable as I plan to eventually prepare all my meals for a PCT thru-hike.

How long does it take to dehydrate most foods? Is it safe to run while out of the house and/or sleeping?

Thanks!

I have the four tray model, works great. Made alot of trail meals in that dehydrator.
Peter

I have the 9 Tray with timer.

timer isnt a big deal as i usualy stop by testing the food rather than after a set time.

9 tray is overkill for meals, but i love it when i dehydrate fruits

For basics on dehydrating, you might want to check out Dehydrating 101 on trailcooking.com. Lots of good information there, including recommended drying times. The time is dependent on the type of food and humidity. Sample times for me with the Excalibur are:

Rice: 6 hrs
Pouched chicken: 5 hrs
Ground beef: 3 hrs
Hash browns: 6-8 hrs

I have no reservations about running it while out of the house or sleeping.

Just ordered it. Thanks everyone for your input! =)


Any reccommendations for a vacuum-sealer?

Edited by thinkpol on 06/15/2010 15:25:36 MDT.

Got a Costco card? Or know someone with one? You can get very good deals there. I saw a great set this past weekend by Food Vac (which is what I use - and have had since 2003).

Yeah, I think I do have a costco card. How long do they usually last? I haven't been there in months.

I got my Food Vac at Costco a couple years ago, use it often, and it still works great. The Costco deal usually comes with food seal bags/material so you don't have to worry about buying that initially. It's very easy to use.

Also, good choice on the Excalibur. I have the 9 tray version without timer. Use it all the time. Love it! And I don't have the problems I did with my other dehydrator in terms of uneven dehydration. I put items in, go out, come back and get another batch going. No problems at all with letting it run while gone.

Josh, they nearly always have them in stock - I would think they sell a ton of them :-) Look in the kitchen ware section, often on an end cap.

Anybody know what vacuum sealer with the highest suction power in a consumer model is?

I'm seriously considering modifying a shop vac to use for suction, because I'm unhappy with all that I've found so far.